One of the most controversial issues in our country is whether or not the death penalty should be abolished. The death penalty is an abomination for humanity. Through the abolition of the death penalty, people are saved from a morally unjust death. No matter who they are, no one has the right to take the life of another human being from them. The death penalty has existed since the dawn of time and must be abolished. So, as the number of people on death row continues to rise, the United States federal government must abolish the death penalty on grounds of ethics, religion, and unconstitutionality. Opponents of this position argue that the death penalty is a necessary evil. One of the main arguments is that offenders must be punished to discourage others from committing similar crimes (Radelet 44). Many people also believe that the victims' families deserve closure. Prisoners must pay for their crime and deserve the punishment given to them. The use of the death penalty makes it possible to combat prison overcrowding. There are not enough resources or space to house prisoners for life. This statement may be true to a certain extent. However, when it comes to sacrificing a person's life for the greater good of society, no man should have the power to end a person's life. One of the main issues raised by opponents is the suffering of the victims if the murderer is not put to death. A murderer affects not only the person he kills, but also the lives of the victim's friends and family. They have to live with the grief of losing a loved one. If the killer is not put to death, he might feel that someone is out to get him. They will only be able to rest when the murderer is tried and executed. Although this side of the argument...... middle of paper......2006." Columbia Law Review 107.1 (2007): 1-130. Business Source Complete. Web. April 11, 2014. Mulligan, Kenneth "Pope John Paul II and Catholic Opinion on the Death Penalty and Abortion." Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell) 87.3 (2006): 739-753. Murray, Gregg R. “Raising Considerations: Public Opinion and the Equitable Application of the Death Penalty” Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell) 84.4 (2003): 753-770, April 11, 2014. Radelet, Michael L., and Marian. J. Borg. “The Changing Nature of the Death Penalty Debates.” Annual Review of Sociology 26.1 (2000): 43. Business Source Complete, April 11, 2014. Sangiorgio, Chiara. Computers and Technology 25.1/2 (2011): 33-41. Computer source. Web. April 11. 2014.